Manipyure Ta no Chakra
by Rebunanta
Summary: REVISED. Naruto is exiled after the Valley of the End failure. 10 years later, an unknown ninja appears with strange techniques and abilities called the Manipyure Ta no Chakra. NaruKureAnko. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own Naruto's abilities, jutsus, and general coolness. Everything else belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Prince of Persia's Sand Wraith belongs to Ubisoft.

Chapter 1

About 10 miles from the border between Fire and Wind Countries

It was around midnight and a man sat in a clearing. The man had on a grey shirt and pants, with a black leather jacket. He had black hair that grew just past his shoulders. He was barefoot and wore a mask that had no visible features, not even eye slits. He was surrounded by 8 pillars with kanji on them. The pillars formed an octagon with the man in the center. Lines of kanji ran from each pillar to the man. He whispered something under his breath and each pillar began glowing a different color. Soon the man's features began to change. His clothing seemed to melt into a black and grey bodysuit. He had white gauntlets on his wrists and swirling designs on his body that faded from white to black. He had what looked like black wrappings flowing loosely around his limbs with the ends extending behind him. The mask turned into a full hood that left his eyes uncovered. (A/n: think Prince of Persia: The Warrior Within's Sand Wraith appearance.) His eyes were a grey with a silver sheen. "There. This will entice Danzo and his Root organization. Now all that's left is to wait for the players to get here. Then the game can begin. Each player will have a vaunted interest in what I have to offer." The man's voice was deep, yet it had a hollow tone to it that came from the mask's presence. The man chuckled as the light of the pillars faded and he sat back down in a meditative position.

Konohagakure, Hokage Tower

"Tsunade-sama, I have a report from one of our border patrols. Apparently a scroll was left for them. It was addressed to you."

"Thank you, Shizune-chan." Tsunade opened the scroll.

_To the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure:_

_Konichiwa, Hokage-sama. I have contacted you in the hopes of entering a business relationship with you. I have in my possession a way for you to greatly increase the effectiveness of your shinobi force through various means I won't discuss on a scroll. As a token of my generosity, I have enclosed here a technique of my own design, one that any of your ninja can learn if given enough time. (Here Tsunade noticed a chakra seal at the bottom of the scroll. She charged some chakra into the seal and out popped another scroll.) This technique is designed so a ninja can temporarily increase his or her reflexes, muscle density, and physical speed. Unlike most techniques, this one does not result in injury to the ninja after the modifications wear off. This is only a small fraction of the services I can render to your village if we were to seek a profitable arrangement. If you wish to meet with me or send a representative, you may find me about 10 miles from the border to Wind Country. If you search for a clearing with eight pillars in it, I will meet you there._

_Sincerely,_

_The Manipyure Ta no Chakra_

_P.S. Incidentally, most likely others such as Otogakure will also seek me out. I may have sent an invitation to your village, but I will not turn down a business proposal from another potential customer if it is to my advantage. However, I will not make a final decision without first hearing your offer. Ja ne._

Tsunade looked closely at the jutsu scroll enclosed. _'This technique…it's amazing!'_ "Shizune! Get me the Rookie 10 and their jounin instructors. I have a mission for them."

Konohagakure, Root Headquarters

"Danzo-sama, we have received a report that a team is being sent out to an area near the our border with Wind Country. Shall we pursue?"

Danzo nodded, "Yes. Go now and see if there is anything that can be used for the good of Konoha."

Otogakure, Orochimaru's labs

"Orochimaru-sama, I hate to interrupt, but there have been rumors going around that describe a ninja who claims to have created a jutsu that grants immortality."

Orochimaru looked up at Kabuto. "And do we know where this ninja is, Kabuto?"

"Yes. All the rumors point to an area in Fire country just past the border. Shall I investigate?"

Orochimaru thought for a moment. "Yes. Go and see if the rumors are true. Take a squad of our Anbu with you. This ninja may need to be…_persuaded_ to visit me. And I do want to meet him personally. I wish to compare notes with him concerning my own immortality jutsu."

Kabuto bowed. "Right away, Orochimaru-sama." After being dismissed, Kabuto collected Otogakure's best Anbu squad and left the village in search of this strange ninja.

Somewhere along the Fire Country border

"So, Kakashi-sensei. Why are we being sent out to the border?"

The silver-haired ichigan turned back to look at his pink-haired student. "I'm not sure, Sakura. Apparently, there's a shinobi in the area who we need to meet. Kurenai has a scroll containing a message for the ninja, and it's our job to get there before anyone else."

Shikamaru looked at the ichigan. "Why the rush? I mean, I thought this ninja contacted us specifically."

Kurenai frowned as she held the scroll tightly. "While we were the only village contacted, it was hinted that other parties may try to reach the shinobi before we do. Our only guarantee is that the ninja promised to hear our proposal before making his final decision. The reason we're rushing this is because our mystery shinobi has drawn the attention of Orochimaru. This is an S-class mission because of possible Sannin interference. Our objective should an outside party attempt to interfere is to escort the ninja to Konoha."

"Neji, use your power of youth to find our mystery ninja, for he has hidden his own springtime of youth!" Gai cheered.

Neji sighed, _'Translation: Use Byakugan to find the target. Why can't he just say it?'_"Yes, Gai-sensei. Byakugan!" The veins around Neji's eyes bulged as he searched for the ninja.

"Neji, Hokage-sama said that we should look for a clearing with eight pillars in an octagon formation." Asuma said from behind Neji.

It was only five minutes before Neji spotted it. "Team, the clearing is half a mile ahead, bearing northeast. It's under a genjutsu. Also, I'm seeing the chakra signatures of thirteen individuals. Seven near the clearing, and six trailing behind us."

Kakashi nodded as they continued to leap through the trees. "Alright. Once we hit the clearing, we start the mission. Team eight and Team Gai will scout out the seven in front of us, while Team ten takes down those behind. Team seven and the other jounin will make contact with our mystery ninja and escort him back to Konoha. As soon as we've start heading back to Konoha, the other teams will disengage and follow us back. We'll circle around our trailing enemies when we leave, so I need all teams to stall as long as they can. Any objections? No? Good!" And with that, the Konoha nin raced to the clearing.

On the edge of the clearing

"Kabuto-sama. This genjutsu is difficult to penetrate. We need more time." The hapless Anbu member cringed behind his mask as Kabuto glared at him.

"We don't have time! Other ninja will soon arrive. This mystery ninja could be a valuable tool for Orochimaru-sama, so we have to get him first."

"Hai, Kabuto-sama! We shall not fail Orochimaru-sama!" The Anbu turned back to the genjutsu.

Behind the Konoha nin

"Danzo-sama wanted us to observe and obtain anything that will help him achieve his goals. He must not be denied his weapon. This ninja is rumored to possess strange abilities that Danzo-sama desires. We must retrieve him before anyone else." The Root captain looked back at his team.

They all responded in unison, "Hai!"

Within the clearing

The ninja everyone was so fixated on was still meditating in the clearing. He could feel his genjutsu being dispelled and smirked underneath his mask. _'So…I guess it's time to play the game.'_ The ninja stood and placed his left palm on the ground. _'Great Pillar of Earth.'_ A thick pillar made of compressed dirt rose to his left. He placed his right palm on the ground. _'Great Pillar of Wood.'_ A thick pillar made of twisted vines grew to his right. He placed both palms on the ground. _'Great Pillar of Ice. Great Pillar of Metal.'_ A pillar of ice condensed behind him. Another pillar appeared in front of him, this one made of pure iron. The ninja raised his palms in the air. _'Roof of Fire.'_ A thick layer of flame encased in a chakra barrier appeared above his head. It stretched from one pillar to another without burning them. The ninja held his hands out so he touched the pillars of earth and wood. _'Thick Wall of Lightning.'_ He swiftly turned, rotating his body with speed as electricity began jumping from pillar to pillar, surrounding him. He stopped suddenly and thrust both hands into the dirt. _'Floor of Air.'_ The chakra construct seemed to rise into the air, hovering a foot of the ground. The ninja blinked out of existence, only to reappear on top of the structure. He held one fist out and one palm on the chakra construct. _'Barrier of Water.'_ Water seemingly appeared around the structure, forming a watery sphere around the entire thing. The ninja panted a little as he kept control of the chakra. "I never thought this jutsu would come in handy, but it sure does make for an interesting advertisement." He turned as a group of ninja with leaves on their headbands appeared in his clearing. "Konichiwa. I see you've decided to meet and discuss the terms of business."

Kurenai could only stare in awe and fear as she beheld the massive structure made entirely of chakra. "H-Hai. We are here to deliver a scroll from the Godaime Hokage to the Manipyure Ta no Chakra (Manipulator of Chakra, or Chakra Manipulator)."

The strangely garbed figure within the chakra nodded, "I am he. I would assume others of your party are indisposed? My genjutsu was dispelled, yet I have not had any other potential customers."

Sakura spoke up. "Customers? I thought you wanted to join Konoha?"

The figure laughed, but it only unnerved Kurenai further. "No little sakura blossom, I do not wish to serve a village. I am the Manipyure Ta no Chakra. I offer my unique services to whoever will give me the best deal. I chose to contact your village because it is a large village and I might find more opportunities for profit there. However, there are other parties who appear willing to seek me out, so I shall extend what little courtesy my clearing can provide. Wait but a moment and we will begin the discussion." The figure turned from them and extended his left hand, palm outward, toward the sky. _'Replication.'_ Suddenly, copies of the ninja appeared, each atop one of the eight pillars ringing the clearing. They all raced away, reappearing with more ninja in tow. The Konoha teams all massed together, eyeing the Root Anbu squad and Kabuto and the Oto Anbu squad. The eight copies disappeared in black smoke that floated up to the central ninja who seemed to absorb the smoke into his body.

The Manipyure Ta no Chakra stood tall as he surveyed the three groups. "So, you have all come seeking an arrangement with me, correct? I sent a message to Konoha, but I do not recall inviting Otogakure or Danzo-san's Root organization. However, seeing as you are all here, I might as well observe and see which of you I might ally myself with, if any. Konoha ninja," Here he turned his silver eyes to the leaf ninja, "I sent your Hokage an invitation, so you may present your offer first, then the Root organization since you also come from Konoha, then last, but certainly not least, Kabuto-san may present his offer. I will hold off on my decision until all parties have presented their offers. If I may, I would like to address a question that may be in more than one ninja's mind. Your question is: Is this chakra construct a technique, and is it of my own design. The answer is yes to both questions. I created this structure in the nine minutes it took to for the Konoha ninja to arrive at my clearing from the edge of my genjutsu. On a side note, I am impressed with your Oto Anbu squad, Kabuto-san. To dispel my barrier genjutsu would take an enormous amount of skill. Orochimaru-san must be proud."

Kabuto smiled, although you could tell it was forced. "Thank you, Manipyure Ta-san. This is only a glimpse of the power Orochimaru-sama can give to a shinobi." _'This ninja is dangerous! He created a chakra contruct of that size and strength in only nine minutes. It's composed of every element, including wood, metal, and ice. Amazingly, he is still maintaining the jutsu, and with no sign of chakra exhaustion. I'm not sure if we can take him to Oto by force.'_

The Manipyure Ta nodded from within the barrier. "Now, on to business. Konoha. Please hand me the scroll from your Hokage."

Kurenai tried to relax as she walked up to the barrier. The Manipyure Ta reached out his hand, but it didn't pass the barrier. Kurenai was confused, "Manipyure Ta-san. Why do you not lower your barrier? I cannot give you Hokage-sama's scroll through the water."

The man shook his head. "No need, Kurenai-san. Just hold out the scroll, and don't be alarmed." Kurenai wondered about this, but she quickly stiffened as she saw part of the black bandages that circled his right arm move out toward the scroll. And her hand. It seemed to pass through the barrier, and wrapped firmly around the scroll. _And her hand_. Kurenai almost jerked her hand back, but kept it steady as the bandages gently circled her hand and wrist. _'What?'_ The bandages suddenly loosened and retracted, still holding the scroll.

The ninja within the barrier dropped to his knees in shame. "I apologize for startling you, Kurenai-san. I am still experimenting with this technique. It is difficult to maintain control of both the construct and this form. I ask your forgiveness, although I have no excuse for causing you discomfort."

Kurenai was stunned. This man who could create and maintain a chakra construct that even the Hokage would have difficulty creating was apologizing for surprising her. "No, no. It's alright. You don't have to apologize any further. However, I would request that you lower your barrier and release your construct. We have all witnessed your abilities and do not require any further proof. I'm sure you must be tired."

The Manipyure Ta looked at the female jounin for a long moment, then bowed his head. "You are correct, Kurenai-san. It is difficult to continue, but I must have your word that you will not force me into any action I do not wish to participate in. I value my independence and do not wish to be bound to any village permanently." As the surrounding ninja nodded, the man stood, then suddenly disappeared in black smoke. The chakra construct began to fall apart. The fire died out, the air below the structure died, the pillar of ice melted, the wood, metal and earth pillars sank into the ground, the water evaporated, and the electricity surrounding the pillars fizzled out. The Manipyure Ta suddenly appeared in the center of the clearing again with a swirl of black smoke. "Alright. Let me see what the Hokage's offer will be." He sat down and opened the scroll.

Kakashi and the other Konoha ninja tried to remain calm as the Manipyure Ta no Chakra looked over the Hokage's scroll. Kakashi noticed the Root Anbu shifting uneasily, and Kabuto's squad seemed to be upset about something as well. He turned his attention back to their common interest.

The Manipyure Ta no Chakra smiled sarcastically underneath his mask as he read the proposal. _'I should have known this would happen.'_ He looked over the letter.

_To the Manipyure Ta no Chakra,_

_Konichiwa. We, the Council of Konohagakure, invite you, the Manipyure Ta no Chakra , to meet with us in three days. The ninja who delivered this scroll will be your official escort to our village. Until we have met in person, we cannot pay you for the services you might provide. We, the Council, require a demonstration of your abilities and skills. If they are satisfactory, we offer you the chance to enlist in our shinobi force. It is a rare opportunity to be invited into the military as an outsider. The Council trusts that you will agree to this proposal and we will meet you in three day in Konohagakure._

_Sincerely,_

_The esteemed Council of Konohagakure_

'_It has their signatures, but not the Hokage's. Interesting.'_ He turned to the Konoha ninja. "Which one of you is the leader of this mission?"

Kakashi stepped forward, "I am, Manipyure Ta-san. Why? Is there something amiss?" Kakashi didn't miss the grin that spread across Kabuto's face.

"Yes, Kakashi-san. I find this proposal…unacceptable."

Kakashi frowned. "Would you please explain?"

The Manipyure Ta looked him right in the eye. "What I find unacceptable is that the Hokage's signature isn't even on this scroll. I told her in my invitation I only work as an independent contractor. I supply you with techniques and abilities and your village pays me upon delivery. However, this proposal states that I am to become one of your ninja before I can be paid. If I become one of your ninja all my products become the property of your village. I see no profit in such an arrangement." The incensed ninja turned away. "I selected Konoha because I heard of your reputation as a village of opportunity. I see now either Iwa or Oto would have been the wiser choice to aid with my skills. You may leave. The offer no longer stands with Konohagakure. Tell your Council I will not meet with those who cannot extend the same courtesy to me as I extend to them. You may have one representative stay to observe the deliberation among the other parties, but your chance has passed." He handed the scroll to Kakashi, then moved back to the center of the ring of pillars.

Kakashi turned to his team with a sigh. "Well, it appears as though we came all this way for nothing. Let's go home team."

"Kakashi."

He turned to look at Kurenai. "What is it, Kurenai?"

She glanced over at the Manipyure Ta no Chakra. "I'll stay here and observe the others. I can at least find out what Orochimaru and Danzo are willing to pay. I can also find out which one he sides with."

Kakashi nodded. "Alright, but don't get taken out by Kabuto or his Anbu. I know the Root Anbu will leave you alone unless you interfere. You're still considered an asset to Konoha." Kurenai began walking back to the meeting as Kakashi and his team leaped into the trees. _'I have to report this to the Hokage. Apparently the Council tried to pull a fast one on her, but it blew up in their faces this time.'_ Kakashi did not want to think about the last time the Council had bypassed the Hokage successfully.

Kurenai moved near the other ninjas. The Manipyure Ta no Chakra seemed to notice her and waved her forward. "Kurenai-san. I see you have chosen to remain here and watch the proceedings."

"Yes, Manipyure Ta-san. It is true. However, I beg of you. Please reconsider Konoha's proposal. The Hokage was unaware of the details that were contained in the scroll. I am sure she would offer you a better solution."

The masked ninja sighed. "Kurenai-san, I was aware of the Council's deception as soon as I opened the scroll. But you must understand. I cannot show partiality to Konoha over others. To do so would be dishonorable, and while I have been called many things, dishonorable has never been one of them. Now Kurenai-san," he motioned for her to sit down near one of the pillars, "I may not be able to accept your proposal at this time, but I promise that you may stay here. You may observe the proceedings without fear, for if anyone should attack another during these deliberations, then I shall have them removed from the discussion, forcefully if need be." The man moved back to the center of the clearing where the Root Anbu captain and Kabuto waited.

'_Kurenai-san. I am sorry, but I am in a difficult position.'_ The Manipyure Ta walked up to the two men. "Let it be known that should any weapon or jutsu be used, the individuals involved and their respective parties will be removed from this meeting. However, should this occur, a representative from each party may stay to observe any future negotiations. Taichou-san, I assume you have a proposal from Danzo-san to give to me. Or is it an oral presentation?"

The Anbu captain handed over a scroll. "It is a chakra seal. You may unseal the proposal read it while we await your response, Manipyure Ta-san." The captain bowed at the waist, then moved back to his squad.

Kabuto stepped forward as well. "Manipyure Ta-san, allow me to unseal the proposal from Orochimaru-sama for your convenience." He quickly disabled the seal just as the Manipyure Ta was unsealing the Root scroll. Kabuto's scroll exploded, leveling the clearing. The eight pillars were shattered and everyone quickly leaped into the surrounding trees.

Kabuto and his Anbu team exchanged looks. The unasked question passed between them. _'Did we get him?'_ The scroll was designed to injure the masked ninja. Kabuto had quickly used the Kawarimi to escape the blast radius. The Manipyure Ta no Chakra would have had about one and a half seconds to leap away. Hopefully he would be injured and Kabuto could take him back to Otogakure. _'I'm glad Orochimaru-sama suggested the scroll bomb. I don't think we could have taken him down on our own.'_

The Root captain stared at the wreckage that was once a pristine clearing. _'I can't sense any chakra other than the Oto-nin. It seems this Manipyure Ta no Chakra wasn't of much value to Danzo-sama after all.'_ The captain motioned for his squad to return to Konoha. They would report that, due to interference from Orochimaru's men, they were not able to obtain the Manipyure Ta no Chakra.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own Naruto's abilities, jutsus, and general coolness. Everything else belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Prince of Persia's Sand Wraith belongs to Ubisoft.

Chapter 2

Somewhere along the Fire Country border

Kurenai woke up to see the trees rushing by at incredible speeds. She noticed she was being carried by the Manipyure Ta no Chakra. _'What happened? I remember Kabuto opening the scroll and then…nothing.'_ She patted her carrier on the head. "Excuse me, but where are we going?"

The man turned his head to look back at her for a second, but quickly looked ahead to their unknown destination. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, Kurenai-san, but you were unconscious. I am taking you to a secure location. From there I will contact Konoha and they can send an escort for you. The reason I cannot take you is because we have Oto-nin searching for us, or specifically me." He stopped on a branch, then turned to the right and began leaping once more. "If you're wondering, it appears Kabuto had sealed a large explosion within the scroll. When he released it, you were knocked unconscious and I was forced to move quickly so as to prevent us from becoming prisoners."

"Oh. So that's what happened." Kurenai was a little shocked. As far as she knew, no ninja could move fast enough to get away from such an explosion unscathed. Yet here was a man who not only escaped without injury, but also with an injured passenger. "Manipyure Ta-san, how was it you were able to accomplish such a task? Forgive me for saying so, but it is impossible for a human, even a well-trained shinobi, to move with such speed without causing internal injuries."

He chuckled from behind his mask. "You're right. It_ is_ impossible to do without injury."

Kurenai was confused. He moved as though he was uninjured so then why would he-? She looked closely at the bandages covering his body. From what she could see, there were patches where the cloth seemed darker. In addition, the cloth under her hands felt wet. _'Oh, hell.'_ "How bad is it?" She hoped he wasn't just running on adrenaline. "Hey, how badly are you hurt?!" _'Why won't he answer? Men.'_

The Manipyure Ta was trying not to laugh. She was concerned about him, but it wasn't necessary. "Kurenai-san, my injuries have healed. You, however, might have a concussion. You hit your head pretty hard. We're almost there so just concentrate on resting." The strange ninja laughed. "I suppose I ought to assuage your fears, however. I have created a method similar to your Hokage's Genesis Rebirth technique. The difference is I saturate my cells with chakra on a constant basis rather than store it up for later use. This means that I am constantly regenerating lost and damages cells, healing any wound almost instantly. However, I can't use the technique on others, so I have learned other healing techniques out of necessity."

The Manipyure Ta jumped out past the tree line. In front of them was a clearing just like the first. It had eight pillars in an octagon formation. Unlike the first, however, this one had a large rock outcropping in the center. It looked polished and smooth, essentially a perfect dome. Kurenai stared at the pillars in more detail. _'The elements….'_ Indeed, each pillar had the symbol for an element. Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Ice, Lightning, Wood, and Metal were etched into the pillars. The strange thing was, the symbols appeared to be melted or burned right into the stone. Kurenai turned her attention to her current mode of travel. "Welcome, Kurenai-san, to the home of the Manipyure Ta no Chakra."

Kurenai glanced around. "What home? Manipyure Ta-san, do you really live out in the open like this? Forgive me, but it just seems…."

The masked ninja nodded, "Inadequate? I prefer the term 'humble'. You must understand I have lived in the wild for the past ten years. I've wandered around the elemental nations, slowly perfecting my skills. I've grown used to living under any circumstance. However," and here he bowed again, "I must apologize, for my home is not fit for a kunoichi of your caliber."

Kurenai was once again stunned, and a little flattered. "It is I who should apologize to you for forcing you to rescue me from harm. I'm usually a much better jounin."

The Manipyure Ta chuckled, "So I hear. Well, if you would sit beside the dome of rock, I will make our location secure for the night. In the morning, I will assist you to Konoha myself. I have decided that waiting for escorts would be too time-consuming, and I don't wish for any more Konoha-nin to be injured."

Kurenai watched as the masked ninja seemed to disappear in a cloud of black smoke. She walked over to the smooth rock and sat down against it. She looked up at the sky. _'It'll be night soon.'_ She turned her attention to the pillars. _'Do these mean something? I can assume these pillars match the ones at the clearing. But these seem older. I can barely see the element marks through all the vines and moss.'_ She sighed. _'This man, the Manipyure Ta no Chakra, is a mysterious individual.'_ The man was incensed when he read the Council's scroll, but he was courteous throughout the meeting. He declared himself impartial, yet he risked his own well being to help her, a ninja whose village had already earned his disdain for false pretenses. Kurenai just didn't understand. She sighed again. _'It's frustrating. No one knows where his loyalties lie. He is a complete mystery to everyone.'_ She began searching for her host. _'Where is he?'_

The Manipyure Ta finished setting the last trap, then hoisted a boar over his shoulders and started making his way back. His thoughts drifted, but they kept returning to the Konoha jounin currently resting in one of his older camps. _'I remember her from Konoha. She always struck me as a sensible kunoichi.' _He began reminiscing about Konoha._ 'It's been ten years. I wonder how the village looks now. I bet my friends are all really strong.'_ He suddenly frowned. "Why am I thinking of them? It's been a decade; I should focus on the current situation."

"Who were you thinking about?" He lifted his head to see Kurenai.

"Oh, hello Kurenai-san. What were you asking?"

The woman had a serious look on her face. "You said it's been a decade. A decade since what?"

The Manipyure Ta turned his head, focusing on some obscure detail to his right. "Nothing, Kurenai-san. Let me get this meat cooked and we'll head for Konoha in the morning." She gave him a curious stare, but nodded as they began preparing the food.

The Next Day

Kurenai once again woke to find herself being carried by the masked ninja. She looked around and noticed some landmarks that signified the border of Wind and Fire. She also noticed it was near evening. She turned her attention to her carrier and smacked him on the head. "Baka! If you had woken me I could have traveled myself. We're not in that big a hurry."

The man shook his head to get the stars out of his vision. _'Damn. She hits HARD!'_ He spoke softly. "Kurenai-san, we were discovered at our camp. You were still out from the healing jutsu I used when you were asleep. I knew you were still tired, so I took matters into my own hands." Literally, as instead of carrying her on his back like last time, she was being cradled in his arms as he leaped from tree to tree. _'Crap. One wrong move and I'm dead.'_

Kurenai was mollified when she heard his explanation. She understood he didn't have a lot of time to leave, but she hated being manhandled this way. Even if he acted the gentleman and kept his hands away from parts of her body he shouldn't touch. _'He's so strong, but surprisingly gentle.'_ She stopped _that_ train of thought before it got too far. _'Hold off there, Kurenai. He's not even allied with Konoha, and you're starting to get cozy with him.'_ She could just picture Anko teasing her incessantly when they got to Konoha. She inwardly grimaced when she noticed he was talking and she was in her own little world.

"Kurenai-san, while I have been using my genjutsu to hide our presence, even I will run out of chakra eventually. This jutsu uses up a tai- a ninth of my chakra at a time. If we do not stop and hide somewhere soon, we will be found. We've traveled many miles, but there are too many Oto-nin in the direction of Konoha for direct travel. They've also blocked the path to Sunagakure. I assume this blockade is because of the Konoha-Suna treaty."

Kurenai nodded and spoke up. "Hai. I suppose the only thing to do is travel along the border and hope to meet an Anbu border patrol. The only problem is the enemy may find us before that happens."

Her masked companion chuckled. "I guess we're on our own then, Kurenai-san. Of course, none of this matters if I don't stop and rest for a moment. My jutsu will be dispelled in about ten minutes."

Kurenai studied her companion closely. He didn't seem tired, so why did he need to stop. When she posed her question he sighed. "Kurenai-san, I have a unique ability to use any elemental chakra, as you saw during my demonstration. However, the reason I can do this is because my chakra is divided. I have nine distinct chakra pools: the four basic elements of fire, water, wind, and earth, the four secondary elements of ice, lightning, wood, and metal, and a final portion of non-elemental chakra that I use in genjutsu and chakra exercises. I've used up most of my raw chakra in this genjutsu and I can't use elemental chakra to perform genjutsu. That's why we need to hide somewhere for a while."

He looked around, seeming to examine the trees in the area. "I'm going to hide us in a cave near here. I'm afraid we will have to spend the night. If I can rest for nine days I will be fully rejuvenated. Right now the enemy ninja are enclosing everything in a five-mile radius of us. They know we are in the area and they don't want us to escape." He dropped to the ground and began sprinting toward a smooth rock face on a hill. It looked like part of the soil on the hill had eroded, exposing the stone underneath.

Kurenai watched in terror as the rock wall loomed closer and closer. "There's no cave! What are you thinking?! We're going to run into it!" She closed her eyes and waited for a collision but nothing happened. She suddenly felt like she had been blasted with cold air, then nothing. She peeked one eye open then the other. "What? How?" She looked at the smooth rock behind them, then up to meet the Manipyure Ta's silver eyes. "What happened? What did you do?"

The Manipyure Ta could only smirk behind his mask as she began stuttering her questions. He gently set her down on her feet and watched as she began gesturing frantically. It was amusing, but they had other matters to attend to. "Kurenai-san," he called out to get her attention, "if you would follow me, I can explain everything." Without waiting for a reply he began walking down the tunnel they currently occupied.

Kurenai stared after him for a moment, the shook her head sharply. _'I'm getting a headache from all this. That or the concussion.'_ Nevertheless, she followed him down the tunnel. Thankfully, it was lit by what looked like phosphorescent crystals embedded in the walls and ceiling. In addition, both the walls and the ceiling were smooth, as if someone had carved the tunnel out of solid rock. She realized she was falling behind and quickly walked faster to catch up to her guide. _'No way am I getting lost in here.'_ She vowed to stick with her masked companion for the duration of the trip to Konoha. They walked for another five minutes or so until they came to a large open cavern. There were circular patches of sunlight coming from the ceiling and there were also many smaller tunnels branching out in all directions. _'Yep. Definitely sticking with him.'_ She glanced at her guide. _'Not that that's a bad thing…'_

The Manipyure Ta looked back at his companion for a moment. "If you want to wash up, there's a hot spring through that tunnel. It has bathing supplies and towels as well.." He pointed to an opening from which came the sound of water. He swept his hand over to a relatively flat area within one of the circles of sunlight. I'll be over there setting up camp. I may be gone when you finish. If that's the case I've gone to get some supplies, so don't leave this cavern. This is for your own protection." He turned, walked over to their campsite, then placed his hand on the ground, palm flat. A small ring of stone rose from the ground, perfect for the size of a campfire. He didn't look back as Kurenai moved to the opening. After hesitating for a second or two, she walked on.

Kurenai walked down the tunnel to where the hot springs were supposed to be. As she walked, she found herself thinking of her companion. _'Why am I so obsessed with him? I'm grateful he saved me, but he isn't exactly an ally. I'm a representative for a village who essentially tried to steal his own property. The only reason he's not walking off right now is because he isn't one to be forced into service. So the question is: why has he brought me with him? I'm a liability. In his position, I would probably abandon any extra weight as a distraction.'_ She reached the hot springs and disrobed. As she sank into the water she felt a massive headache coming on. "Just who is the Manipyure Ta no Chakra?" She asked aloud.

Konohagakure

"…And when we returned, there were no signs of either Kurenai-sensei or the Manipyure Ta no Chakra. I can only assume, based on the size of the explosion and lack of evidence to the contrary, that both are dead or captured by Oto." Neji finished. He looked at the two women standing before him. Tsunade was upset, but only a trained eye could see it. Her hands clenched on the desk and her eyes were closed. Neji looked at the other woman in the Hokage's office. Mitarashi Anko had tears dripping down her cheeks.

The purple-haired woman turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade-sama, may I be excused? I…have a pressing engagement."

The blonde Hokage just nodded. "Go on, Anko." Tsunade knew Anko and Kurenai were best friends and grew up together. _'She must be devastated.'_ She watched as the snake mistress slowly walked out the door. When the door closed, Tsunade heard muffled sobs. _'This wouldn't have happened if the Council hadn't interfered. The team and the Manipyure Ta no Chakra would have been in the village with no one hurt.'_ "Shizune! Call the Konoha Council for an emergency session! This is urgent!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!" The younger medic-nin disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Tsunade massaged her temples. _'Damn gaki. Why'd you bring me back here?'_

15 minutes later, Konoha Council Meeting Chambers

Tsunade looked at the twelve council members. The prominent shinobi clans were each represented, along with Koharu and Homura, her sensei's old teammates. Danzo was there as well, sitting next to a Root bodyguard. Jiraiya had also shown up. Even though he wasn't on the council, his voice would prove useful for this little scheme she had planned. _'This will pay them back for what they did to otouto.'_ She made sure her expression didn't betray her thoughts. She stood in the center of the room. "I have called this meeting for two main reasons. The first reason is to announce that Yuhi Kurenai, the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha, is now either dead or in the hands of Orochimaru." That brought murmurings throughout the room. "The second reason is her current situation is the fault of this council."She smirked as they all shouted in outrage. She raised her voice to be heard. "I'm not done yet!" The noise gradually quieted down. "When I sent my invitation from the Manipyure Ta no Chakra to this council, I was under the impression you actually read it. I see now all you did was examine the jutsu he enclosed. Had any of you read his letter closely, you would have seen that he specifically said he would not be a shinobi of this village. Instead, Kakashi reports that your scroll specifically stated the Manipyure Ta no Chakra would have to become a shinobi of Konoha to receive any payment for his services. The Manipyure Ta explained that for him to do so would only force him to reveal his techniques to Konoha without payment. He immediately cut off negotiations with our village because of your 'proposal'. Kurenai stayed behind to observe the deliberations on invitation from the Manipyure Ta. In other words," She glared at them, "Because of your greed and stupidity, we have lost not only a valued jounin-sensei, but a possible ally in the war that is sure to come. Oto and Iwa are both gathering their shinobi forces. I've already sent you the reports from Jiraiya's spies. Konoha will soon be at war. We have no allies and no way to fight both villages. We need all the help we can get, and you people go and pull a stunt like this! This is just like what happened with Uzumaki Naruto!"

Hiashi stood up. "That was a completely different situation, Tsunade-sama! The boy was dangerous. He could have turned on the village at any time. His unstable nature was revealed after the mission to save Uchiha Sasuke. Kakashi witnessed Uzumaki channeling the Kyuubi to kill the last Uchiha. Exiling him was the best choice. It was that or death, but the council felt that if ever we needed the Kyuubi's power, we could simply pick him up wherever he wandered."

"Good plan, Hyuuga, except Naruto's disappeared. Don't be surprised, he had great practice hiding for his life as a child from the mobs that wanted him dead. I read his medical files. The fact that he cared about this village amazed me." Tsunade shook her head. "Even if we could find Naruto after all these years, what makes you so damn sure he'd help? This village hated him, the council exiled him for trying to save his best friend, and he is considered nothing but a monster to the people of Konoha. If anything, I'm surprised he hasn't unleashed Kyuubi on Konoha. The fact that he hasn't shows he isn't the demon everyone of you seems to think. But that isn't why I called this meeting." She looked at each council member in turn. "I have called this meeting to put Konoha under martial law, with the Hokage and two advisors at its head. I select Nara Shikamaru and Inuzuka Tsume as my advisors. This council has been disbanded until martial law has ended. Good day." And she walked out the doors amid protests.

As she walked back to her office, Jiraiya walked up beside her. She sighed, "Damn, that felt good."

He chuckled "You say that now, but doesn't this mean more paperwork?"

She stopped dead. "_DAMN!_"

He laughed outright. "That's what you get for disbanding a council and taking so much responsibility for the village."

As they made their way into her office, Tsunade snapped her fingers. A masked Anbu kneeled at her feet. "Yes, Hokage-sama?"

"Go and get Nara Shikamaru and Inuzuka Tsume. Priority one."

"Hai!" The Anbu disappeared, and Jiraiya walked over to the window.

He turned back to Tsunade. "What about Naruto?"

She looked at him. "What about him?"

"Your in charge now. You could rescind his exile. Bring him home."

She looked down. "What I said in the Council room was true, Jiraiya. Naruto disappeared from the elemental nations. No one's heard a thing. We need him more than ever."

"You're right. With Oto and Iwa out for blood, we need all the help we can get. If Naruto were here, we could get Sunagakure on our side."

"Gaara still hasn't opened full treaty negotiations, has he?"

"No and until Naruto's exile is revoked, Spring, Wave, Waterfall, and Suna won't have anything to do with us. Thankfully, Gaara has left us with trading agreements. Naruto's exile didn't sit well with any of them, even after his status of the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi was announced. Konoha's financial situation is weak with a lack of missions and trade from other countries. Apparently, Konoha is looked down on for its treatment of Naruto. Even Kumo is in an uproar. There are reports of Kumo Anbu squads out searching for Naruto with invitations to join Kumogakure. They haven't had any luck so far, but if Naruto takes his chance with them, Konoha is in dire straits. Kumo already has a jinchuuriki, and two would increase their power as a village." Jiraiya shook his head. "If Sarutobi-sensei and Minato-kun could see the village now I think they'd either cry or declare themselves missing-nin. Anyway," He turned and began walking out the door, "I think I'll try my hand at Naruto-searching. It can't be too hard to find a Yondaime look-a-like wandering the lands." Just after he left, Nara Shikamaru and Inuzuka Tsume walked in.

Tsume was the first to speak. "You wanted to see us, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade sat down at her desk. "Come in, Shikamaru. Tsume." As they sat down in the chairs before her desk, she looked at each of them closely. _'Nara Shikamaru. Genius IQ, heir to the Nara clan, and has enough common sense to understand Naruto isn't the demon.'_ She turned her attention to the Inuzuka. _'Inuzuka Tsume. Best tracker ninja in Konoha. Inuzuka clan matriarch. Also happens to like Naruto. Apparently he visited her home as a child.' _She cleared her throat. "Nara Shikamaru and Inuzuka Tsume. I must inform you that Konoha is now under martial law in preparation for a possible war with Otogakure and Iwagakure. The Council of Konoha has been disbanded, and I am in charge. I have selected you two as my advisors during this conflict. Shikamaru, you have been selected for your tactical brilliance and quick analysis of your opponents. Tsume, you were selected for your impeccable record as a ninja and strong leadership skills within your clan. You possess talents that could be put to use as a battlefield commander. Do you both understand?"

They just stared at her for a moment, then Shikamaru spoke, "Well, this may be troublesome, but my first piece of advice would be for you to repair relations with our former allies. Konoha is alone, and even my Anbu squad has noticed the hostility for Konoha-nin in other countries."

"The Nara's right." Tsume barked with a grimace. "The village is looking poor right now. We need all the help we can get."

Shikamaru shook his head. "The only problem is we have nothing to go on. Our former allies left after the incident with Naruto. The only way to get support would be to find him and make him a shinobi of Konoha again."

Tsunade sighed. "Tsume, have you or any other tracker teams found Naruto? Even rumors?"

The feral woman's face fell. "Nothing. Naru-chan's skills at hiding have only improved with age. He learned how to avoid the mobs as a child by running to either the Inuzuka clan grounds or to the Hokage. From what I hear, he even gave Anbu the slip as a boy attending the academy. He was always a handful, even back then. How he evades our teams is a mystery to me. I mean, he'd look like the Yondaime about now. How hard can it be to find him? It's so frustrating!"

Otogakure

"Orochimaru-sama, I bring news." The Oto Anbu bowed before the pale man.

"What is it? Where is Kabuto? He is late."

The Anbu quaked in fear of his pale master. "K-Kabuto-sama is in Wind country searching for the Manipyure Ta no Chakra."

"WHAAAT?! How could Kabuto have failed me?!"

"I…I don't know, Orochimaru-sa-sama. The scroll bomb went off, but the Manipyure Ta was too fast. He escaped along with an injured Konoha-nin. But don't worry, Orochimaru-sama!" The Anbu was scared because of how the pale snake was looking at him. "Our ninja have spread out along the Wind-Fire country border. He can't escape, especially with a companion."

Orochimaru started calming down. It wouldn't do any good to kill one of his Anbu. "Alright. In the mean time, tell me more about this Manipyure Ta no Chakra…."

10 minutes later

Orochimaru dismissed the Anbu with a negligent wave of his hand. _'This Manipyure Ta no Chakra sounds interesting. Although there was no evidence of an immortality jutsu, his ability to use the elements with such skill is amazing. His chakra reserves and control must exceed Sannin- and Kage-level by far. His appearance is also very strange. Whatever his clothing is made from appears to be sentient. His physical abilities also exceed optimal shinobi standards.'_ He tapped his fingers against his office desk. _'But why would he save a Konoha-nin. Those fools on the council cost Konoha a strong ally, so why did he even allow a Konoha representative to remain? As for Root, I expected them to show up sooner or later. Old Danzo must've wondered if he could use the Manipyure Ta's talents in Root. Too bad, old man. It will be Otogakure that benefits from the Manipyure Ta no Chakra. We can use him in our attack on Konoha. Speaking of which…'_ The pale man looked at the proposal from the Tsuchikage. It was a plan of attack against Konoha that involved eliminating border patrols, tracker teams, and hunter-nins to weaken the village, then a decisive strike at the village itself. Iwa-nins would use their Doton jutsu to break down the village walls at different places. Konoha would be forced to spread its shinobi forces thin to guard every breach. Oto-nins could then aid the Iwa-nins in taking out the guards all at once. The Konoha-nins couldn't retreat or the civilians would be in danger, but they couldn't call for assistance because even the reserves would also be fighting. _'A simple plan, but effective.'_ Orochimaru could always use his snake summons and the Edo Tensei as a back-up plan. He signed the scroll. "Agreed."


	3. Discontinued

Discontinued: Sorry guys, but I'm giving up on writing fanfiction. I just can't seem to get inspiration for it anymore. With school and everything, I just don't think I can give it the attention it deserves.

If any of you want to continue these, please PM me.


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